Art
by ScoopsHarrington
Summary: Mike follows an art account he finds on Instagram. Then, said art account posts a painting of Mike.


Mike was scrolling through Instagram, bored out of his mind. He had the flu and was thus quarantined to his room. He came across a picture he really liked on the art page. It was of a boy, smiling and laughing, but that half of his face was a mask. The other side had tears and scars all over his face and body. Mike took a particular liking to it, so he started scrolling through the artist's page _ SomeOtherBullshit _and instantly fell in love with their work, quickly hitting follow.

Across town, in Lucas' basement, Will didn't notice his newest notification.

* * *

Next time they met, Mike told his best friend about the new account he'd discovered. "I forget the name, but you would _so _love their work, Will. It's just like yours, just less, you know, nerdy crap."

Will snorted as he picked at his food. "Says Mike." His voice goes high pitched, "_Hey guys I just found this ultra mega awesome coolest game in the world! It's called Dungeons and Dragons and we just have to try it!_"

Mike throws a French fry at his best friend. Will throws a french fry back, but Mike ducks. It hits Max and soon the party is full-on engaged in a food fight in the middle of Dustin's living room.

* * *

A few months later, Will flips through his sketchbook to an empty page. He put in his new mixtape- Jonathan had given it to him last week and he hadn't had the time to sit down to it yet. He picked up a pencil and started to let his mind wander. His pencil moved across the page fluidly, and he didn't even need to think.

A few songs later, Will looked down and was startled to realize he had drawn Mike. It wasn't a full drawing yet, but the shape of his nose, the curve of his neck, and the jawline all popped out at Will. He hadn't realized he'd memorized Mike's face. But Will watched intently as his hand moved. His brain was on autopilot as he drew the beautiful chocolatey brown eyes that he'd come accustomed too. It wasn't too long before he'd finished. He looked down and was astounded by the picture. It was perfect.

He pulled it out of his sketchbook, careful not to rip it. He got out his paint set and began to color in the picture of his best friend.

When he was finished, he felt especially proud of the drawing. He knew it was risky because it was actually Mike and it was on public and he was fairly popular, which still amazed him but whatever. He didn't care. He snapped a picture of his latest work and quickly posted it to his art Instagram.

Elsewhere, Will got a notice when one of the art Instagrams he follows posts. He loves art, mainly because it reminds him of Will. It reminds him of the drawings Will used to scribble out in crayon of the two of them. The thought made Mike smile. He opened the notification and his breath caught in his throat.

It was him. It wasn't like there was any question about it. From the wild and curly black hair, Mike had taken to straightening it recently, but it was definitely his, right down to the tiny scar he had acquired on his bottom lip when Max had thrown one of the small Monopoly pieces at his head. He got this last week, so it wasn't even up for debate. One of his favorite art accounts had just posted up a picture of him.

* * *

Mike had practically bolted to the Byers house, because who else could it possibly be?

When he got there, he dropped his bike and banged on the door until Jonathan opened it. "Mike? What the hell man?"

Mike pushed straight through him to Will's room. He didn't bother to knock, just opening the door. "Mike? What's happening? Is something wrong?"

"Where is it?"

Will finds himself looking right into the eyes he was just drawing a few minutes ago.

"What?"

Mike moves past him and starts looking around the room. It doesn't take too long, as the picture is sitting on the desk. He picks it up and Will blushed.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I just drew that like a half-hour ago. How did you know about that?"

"I didn't realize you had an art instagram." Mike said quietly. "I guess neither of us noticed I followed you."

_Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshi-_

"Um, yeah, yeah, I do." He replied. He didn't know where to go from there.

Mike's eyes went over the drawing, again and again, searching for an imperfection. He couldn't find one. "Can I..." He took a shallow breath. "Can I keep it?"

"What?"

"Can I keep it?" Mike's eyes didn't leave the paper but he could feel Will's eyes boring into him. He tried to keep the blush from creeping up his face, but he was unsuccessful. _Why am I feeling like this? What's wrong with me? I shouldn't feel like this over a boy. I shouldn't feel like this over _Will. _We've been friends since Kindergarten. There hasn't been a time where I didn't have Will._

"Of course," Will said, smiling softly at him.

Mike was breathing shallowly as he held the art. It felt precious like if he even breathed on it the painting would melt away into nothingness.

"Hey, Will? Can I tell you something?" Will sat on his bed, smiling slightly as Mike refused to take his eyes off the picture.

"Anything, Mikey. You know that." Will looked Mike up and down, not that he had too. as Will had recently learned, Mike was committed to memory. From the nape of his neck to the way he walked. Mike would forever live in Will's memory, perfect and untouched.

"I think I'm gay."

After a few seconds, Mike gathered up the courage to look at Will. He had a shit-eating grin on his face. "Cool! Me too."

Mike did a double-take. "Wait, what?"

Will laughed. "Oh hell yeah. Full-on raging homosexual over here."

Mike's face went pale and he looked over his shoulder. "Shh!"

"It's fine. My mom knows and Jonathan figured it out before I did."

"But..." Mike looks at the ground. "How can you just be so carefree about it?"

Will gave Mike a knowing smile. "How long have you known? Since the first time you said 'I'm Gay', even just to yourself."

"Um, three and a half months."

"It took me a year and a half before I had the courage to say it out loud, and after that, it took me another month to be able to come out to my mom. You've got balls, Wheeler. I'll give you that." He let out a humorless chuckle.

"Shut up, Byers." Mike teased, delicately placing down the picture and joining Will on the bed. He placed his hand on top of Will's.

Will looked at Mike when he realized their hands were touching. He interlocked their fingers. "Make me."

Mike and Will's eyes connected and both of them began to lean into each other. Their lips crashed together and Will felt like fireworks were exploding inside his chest, bashing against his ribcage. Or was that his heart beating as fast as it could? They pulled away before either of them actually wanted to, but the need for air was relentless.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Will sighs as they place their foreheads together. He wishes he could live in this moment forever, the taste of cinnamon still lingering in his mouth. He was in a state of complete and total bliss, and nothing could bring him down from it.


End file.
